Hammer rest-rail for grand-piano actions



F. A. WESSELL.

HAMMER REST RAIL FOR GRAND PIANO ACTIONS. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 4. 1920.

Patented Sept. 21, 1920.

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lHll mi iiu l F. A. WESSELL.

HAMMER REST RAiL FOR GRAND PIANO'ACTIONS.

APPLICATION H LED MAR- 4. 1920.

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Pawnted Sept. 21', 1920.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

FERNANDO A. \VESSELL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

HAMMER REST-BAIL FOR GRAND-PIANO ACTIONS.

Application filed March 4,

T 0 all whom it may concern.

Be it known thatI, FERNANDO A. Whis- SELL, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Manhattan of the city of New York, in the State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hammer Rest-Rails for Grand- Piano Actions, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part hereof.

This invention relates to rest-rails by which the stroke of all or of one part or another of the hammers of piano actions can be reduced for the purpose of modifying the tone produced. The invention is particularly concerned with the construction of such rest-rails for grand player pianos and it has for its object to simplify the construction, to reduce wear and to improve the operation. In devices of this general character there have been combined heretofore a main rest-rail, by which the stroke of all of the hammers can be reduced at one time, and a divided rest-rail by which the stroke of one portion or another of the hammers can be reduced at will. In such prior devices the main rest-rail andthe divided rest-rail are side by side and make contact with or act upon the hammer stems in parallel lines. In the improved construction the main restrail acts through the divided rest-rail and thereby the construction is simplified, and

its operation improved. The invention will be more fully explained hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings in which it is illustrated, and in which- Figure l is a View partly in elevation and partly in section in a plane transverse to the rest-rails, showing so much of the grand piano action as is necessary to enable the invention to be understood.

Fig. 2 is a top view of a portion of such an action as is shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detail view in cross section through the rest-rail and associated parts.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings the piano keys, one of which is shown at a, act through the usual wippens and other devices, indicated generally at 7), upon the hammers c, which are pivoted as usual in the hammer shank flanges 63, secured to the rail 6. The rail. f,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 21, 1920.

1920. Serial No. 363,212.

which supports the wippens, has secured to it padded brackets g, on which the main rest-rail h normally rests, such main restrail, for the sake of rigidity, to prevent sagging and to secure accuracy of movement, being preferably formed as an angle-iron, with two members at right angles. The main rest-rail is carried by arms 2', which are pivoted to flanges 70 secured to the rail 6, the pivots of the arms 2' and the hammers 0 being preferably co-axial with the hammers c. The rest-rail may be raised, in manual playing, by the usual pedal Z with its dowel rod, or it may be raised, in automatic playing, by a pneumatic m with its dowel rod. The main rest-rail carries a fabric strip or pad it upon which may rest the divided rest-rail n which may consist of two or more alined sections to control different groups of the hammers. Each section of the divided rest-rail, to secure both lightness and rigidity, is preferably formed with an angular exterior n of metal, with a filling n of wood. Each section is carried by arms 0,

pivoted in the flanges or brackets in coaxially with the arms 2' of the main rest-rail. so that the main rest-rail and the divided rest-rail shall move in the same are without friction one upon the other. Each section of the divided rest-rail may be operated by a pneumatic p with its dowel rod. A fabric strip or pad 9, is secured to the divided restrail and upon it rest the shanks of the hammers 0.

VVhen'the stroke of all of the hammers is to be reduced, the main rest-rail h is lifted by its operating devices and all sections of the divided rest-rail are lifted with it, thereby reducing the stroke of all of the hammers. On the other hand, if the stroke of any group of hammers is to be reduced the corresponding section of the divided restrail is lifted by its operating devices, while the main rest-rail and the other section or sections of the divided rest-rail remain at rest..

It will be observed that the improved construction is exceedingly compact, as is particularly necessary in grand actions, that the construction is simple, that all parts are readily accessible, that rigidity is secured and the danger of warping, bending or ging reducedQthat there is no rubbing of one part upon another, With consequent Wear and friction to be overcome, and thatthc operationis certain and responsive.

I claim as my invention: 7

In a piano action, thecombination of a main rest-rail, a divided rest-rail resting directly upon the main rest-rail and moved therewith, hammers arranged to rest di' rectly and only upon the divided rest-rail 10 p and arms supporting said rest-rails pivoted co-axially With each other and with; the hammers. This specification signed this second day of March, A. D. 1920;

FERNANDO A. VVESSELL. 

